Karnataka Elections 2018: Southern Karnataka Region

This is considered JD(S)'s bastion and even in this election it will try and win about 30 seats to trump the others. BJP has little or no presence in the region and it's a direct fight between Congress and JD(S). In 2013, JD(S) won 21 seats and Congress won 24. BJP trailed with just two seats. The region consists of the districts of Mandya, Mysuru, Chikkabalapur, Chamrajnagar, Ramanagarm, Hassan, Kolar, Tumkuru, Kodagu and Bengaluru rural districts. Mandya is the epicenter of the raging Cauvery debate, a major talk point in these elections. The battleground for what can be touted as the most rural seats, JD(S) has strong presence here with Arsikere and Holenarasipur as its strongholds historically.